Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings (drawings need not show details, but should show the mathematics in the problem), sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.

Daily Calendar & Counting Review

15 minutes

Each day we begin our math block with an interactive online calendar followed by counting songs and videos.

Calendar Time:

We do calendar on Starfall every afternoon. This website has free reading and math resources for primary teachers. It also has a “more” option that requires paying a yearly fee. The calendar use is free. A detailed description of Daily Calendar math is included in the resources.

Counting with online sources: Today we did counting practice to reinforce the counting skills. We watched two to three number recognition 0-10 videos (one to two minutes each) because some of my students students were still struggling with identifying numbers correctly in random order. We watched "Shawn the Train" and counted objects with him to refresh our memories on how to count objects to ten and to reinforce one to one counting. Since we have started the second quarter of the school year, we added to today's counting practice: counting to 20 forward and back, counting by tens to 100 and counting to 100 by ones to get a jump on our end of the year goals.

Daily Calendar

Calendar

Direct Instruction

10 minutes

I begin the lesson by reading 5 Little Monsters. This story is written in the same manner as 5 Little Monkeys. Any counting to 5 book would work with this lesson. Make sure the story is fun and engaging so it will keep the kids interested and actively engaged in counting no matter what academic achievement level they are on.

It sounds like this:

Me: As I read the story I think aloud about the combinations that make 5 on each page. This story starts with 5 little monsters. If there are 5 little monsters, how many more monsters would I need to make 5?

Students: 0

Me: (After I read the next page.) Oh no, one of the monsters fell off the tree and skinned his knee! Now how many little monsters is there now?

Students: 4

Me: How many monsters have boo-boos?

Students: 1

Me: So 4 and 1 is 5

I continue with this pattern of questioning for the remainder of the book.

Guided Practice

10 minutes

I hold up a number tower of 5. Then I hold it in my hands in a way that the kids can't see the tower. I break it into two random pieces. I hold one piece up and hid the other piece behind my back. I ask the kids, "If I am trying to make 5, how many are hiding behind my back?" (I am holding 3 cubes)

Students: 2 (They are all holding up 2 fingers) I take mental note of those who do not respond, or respond only after they looked around at the other students' responses.

Me: Let's see, and I pull the other part of the tower from behind my back. I put the tower back together and I have the kids repeat, "2 and 3 is 5."

I continue to do this over and over using different combinations including 0 and 5.

When I do the combination of 5 and 0, many of the kids are confused. They say that I need 5 more to make 5.

Me: How can I need 5 more if I already have 5 in my hand?

Student: You have 5 so you need 0 because 0 is a real number. It means you don't need any more.

Me: That makes sense. I have 5 already so I don't need any more. That means I need 0 more cubes.

We continue like this until our time is up and then the kids go to their tables.

Hiding 5

Independent Practice

15 minutes

The independent practice starts on the floor whole group and moves to their tables with white boards and markers.

We practice a few more combinations the same way as the guided practice, but with no support from me.

I have the kids go to their table and ask a few helpers to pass out whiteboards and markers.

For this section, I have the kids record their answers on the whiteboard. They are to write the number of cubes that are hiding and draw that number of cubes.

It is important for the kids to write their responses because I want to engage as much of the brain as possible to get them fluent as quickly as possible. Now they will see, hear, say and write the combinations that make 5.

I first hold up a 4 tower. I ask, "How many are hiding?" Don't yell it out. Write it down on your whiteboard and then draw the number of cubes that are missing. When you are finished, hold up your board. I take a mental note of those who look around at other boards before writing on their own.

Let's say it together, 1 and 4 is 5. One more time, 1 and 4 is 5.

Let's do another one. I hold up a 3 tower. How many are hiding now? Write it on your board and draw that number of cubes.

What's Hiding?

Missing Two

Closure

We gather back on the floor and discuss what we have learned about combinations that make 5. Since the goal in kindergarten is to be fluent with addition and subtract to 5, My goal for this activity is to get the kids to "memorize" facts of 5 without realizing that is what we are doing.

Me: What combinations of 5 can you remember we made? I pull a name stick from the stick can.

Student 1: 2 and 3 is 5

Me: Yes it is! Good job. (I record the combination on our circle map for 5)

Student 2: 4 and 1 is 5

Me: Good! (I record it on the poster) Is that all of them?

Student 3: O is a real number, Mrs. Gunn.

Me: Yes it is. What can we do with 0?

Student 3: 0 and 5 is 5

Me: That's right. Let's add it to our poster

Circle Map 5

Exit Ticket

5 minutes

I glue and paste all the missing addend of 5 cards on to one page (total of 4) to use as a quick check exit ticket. I have included all of the cards at the bottom so you can use them for other lessons and activities.

I ask the kids to fill in the missing numbers that are needed to make 5.

Me: Let's review our poster, 0 and 5 is 5, 1 and 4 is 5, 2 and 3 is 5. We also review the commutative property combinations (5 and 0, 4 and 1, 3 and 2).

Here is your exit ticket for today. You need to look at the top number in the boxes. Do you see that they all have 5 at the top? and each set is missing a number right here where the empty little box is?

That is where you need to write in the missing number from the combination. So, If I have 4, how many more do I need to make 5?

Students: 1

Me: That's right, so I would write a 1 in the empty little box. Now Anelyss is going to pass out the offices (privacy folders) and my helper of the day is going to pass out the exit ticket. Figure out what number is missing from each combination and write them in the little boxes.

When you are finished, turn your paper over and raise your hand.

As I collect the exit tickets, I sort them into piles.

Misses 0 = Meets the standard

Misses 1 = Approaches the standard

Misses more than 1 = Falls Far Below

The Meets kids continue with the teaching and learning cycle as designed. The Approaches kids have a quick meeting with me to see if there was just a miscount or a small misunderstanding about something on the page. I usually clear things up with these kids in one quick meeting. The FFB kids are put in a small group to meet with me to have further direct instruction and support.